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Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.

50

out of 100

The Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney

Sanders and DeMicco’s script doesn’t have the robust plotting, consistent wit or flavorful character development of the best family animation. And some of the voice actors have too little to work with.

Parents need to know that The Croods, while quite funny and gorgeously animated, deals with some pretty heavy themes: the constant risk of death and worries about the end of the world. Prehistoric times are convincingly wild, dangerous, and unstable: Rocks fall, mountains tumble, and the Earth opens up and swallows the ground whole (all made even more immediate when seen in 3-D). The frequent peril and talk of the end of the world are likely to make younger kids nervous. And then there are the conversations about parents dying and kids themselves being in danger; at one point, viewers may even think a central character has perished. Other scenes show characters battling other creatures for supremacy and food, so there's plenty of slapsticky whacking and hitting, too. Female characters do end up getting saved by males, and you may find yourself heading to the Internet to research the accuracy of the movie's creatures and events. All of that said, The Croods has a wonderful message of courage and celebration of adventure at its core, and there are strong, loving family relationships.

Families can talk about The Croods' themes. In a wild world like the Croods', danger really was around every corner. But did the talk about the end of the world and characters dying scare you? Parents, reassure younger kids that times are very different today!

Talk to your kids about Eep. How does she break stereotypes (or conform to them)? Is she a role model? Is Guy?

Grug's family motto is "Never not be afraid." Is this good advice? If not, why not? Does it work for Grug and his family?

How historically accurate do you think The Croods is? How could you find out more about prehistoric facts? And how important is it for animated, fictional movies to stick close to history?

Messages: Lots of affirming messages. Eep and the rest of the Croods learn that hiding leads you nowhere, that courage opens up your world, and that love needs to be expressed. Also, to be yourself. As one character says: "Don't hide -- live!" Some bodily function humor (nose picking, etc.).

Role models: Though Grug is fearful and makes clear (albeit jokingly) his disdain for his mother-in-law, he does make decisions out of a need to protect his family. He's the first to throw himself over them when the Earth rumbles and rocks start falling or when animals around him attack. (He does sic his baby, who's pretty tough, onto prey that he's trying to catch for food.) Most of all, he cares deeply about Eep, his daughter on the verge of womanhood. He admires her but worries for her. Eep adores her father but isn't swayed by his fears; she's eager to expand her horizons, literally and figuratively. She pushes Grug to explore, and he encourages her to think before she acts. Ultimately, he also teaches her how to share her feelings by modeling that behavior himself. Guy also shows Eep the joy of living freely, unencumbered by anxiety. Female characters sometimes rely on male characters to save them, and Eep sometimes acts a little silly around Guy.

What to watch for

Violence and scariness: Frequent talk about death/the risk of death in this wild, unstable world; at one point, viewers are even led to believe that a central character may have perished. Guy mentions the death of his parents, and a bedtime story includes a reference to a character dying as well. There's also plenty of talk about the end (of the world) being nigh, what with all the earthquakes and fires and such, which could scare younger or sensitive viewers. Mountains tumble, the ground splits, and animals big and small descend on others they deem prey. (The animation is so top-rate that you can practically feel the rocks crashing down on the ground.) There's some pretty serious -- and seriously competitive -- hunting and gathering going on (admittedly in a cartoonish way), with Grug urging everyone to huddle for a "family kill circle" before they go nuts trying to catch anything they can eat. Characters push and shove and hit one another to get at the (potential) grub. Characters wield spears and rocks and fiery sticks and fall or hurl themselves off cliffs. It's definitely survival of the fittest, and the bravest, in Croods-land.

Sexy stuff: Plenty of flirting between a teenage boy and a teenage cave-girl. They hold hands and come close to kissing in one scene.

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